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It's not about medals, says Moneghetti

Paul Mulvey

Australia could be heading for its worst result at a Commonwealth Games since 1986, but team chief Steve Moneghetti believes success isn't measured by medals.

Australia's decades of Commonwealth dominance is over, with England to top the medals table for the first time in 28 years as they ride the momentum from the London Olympics and a near home Games experience.

With three days of competition left in Glasgow, Australia has 36 gold medals and is likely to finish somewhere between the 40 won in Edinburgh in 1986 and the 52 claimed in Auckland four years later.

The Australians reached their peak with 87 gold in Victoria, Canada in 1994 and won 74 at the last Games in Delhi in 2010.

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"It's not about gold medals, it's about our athletes performing, having a good environment to perform the best they possibly can," Moneghetti said.

"As long as our athletes are expressing to me they've had a fair opportunity and are doing the best they can.

"If other countries are going great, other countries go bad, our position relative to that doesn't bother me, as long as our athlete are comfortable that they've had the chance to give a fair account of themselves and done their best, then that's good enough for me, that should be good enough for anybody.

"We don't set medal targets."

It would even be good enough for the demanding Australian public, Moneghetti believes, if they spoke to the athletes.

"The Australian public will believe what you (the media) tell them, but I bet you, if they meet any of our athletes, they'll believe that they've had a fantastic Games and acquitted themselves for their country extraordinarily well."

After eight days of competition, Australia's gold medals have all come in four sports - swimming, cycling, shooting and athletics, but Moneghetti is also not fazed about a lack of depth.

"Those four sports probably make up for about half the team in numbers," he said.

"I'm not concerned about that.

"I love the spread of sports that we see on display at Commonwealth Games."

England has won gold in 12 sports as it capitalises on the huge funding given to British sport courtesy of the UK Lottery, which dwarfs the cash now given to Australian athletes.